A Psychological Conflicts of the Narrator in Edgar Allan Poe the Black Cat

A PSYCHOLOGICAL CONFLICTS OF THE NARRATOR IN EDGAR ALLAN POE THE BLACK CAT

Rizaniar Itaqa Khalida

Abstract

This writing discusses a short story, “The Black Cat”, written by Edgar Allan Poe by using psychoanalytic approaches. The aims of this writing are to analyze and explain the reason behind the behavioral change of The Black Cat’s Narator by his psychology . The narator who was once an animal lover gradually changed into an animal abuse and abuser. In writing the writer use library research method to understand an object of research. Data collected through library and internet research. Kualittatif methods used to analyze data through read intensive data and relate it to theory. The theory used in this research is the theory of psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud (1986). Psychoanalytic theory used to find the psychology of the main character of the story. The results of this study indicate that the main character in the short story of the Black Cat showed his psychological experiences and reflected in the experience of his life and behavioral change happened to character in this story are caused by structures of personality and human mind included irrational , peverseness, and guilt who influence the character became agressive man and abuser.

Keyword : The Black Cat, Edgar Allan Poe, Psychology.

INTRODUCTION

The Black Cat is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe , it was first published in the August 19 1843 edition of The Saturday Evening Past. It is study of the psychology of guilt , often paired in analysis with Poe’s “ The Tale-Tale Heart”. Both of the story tell about a murderer carefully conceals his crime and believes himself unassailable, but eventually breaks down and reveals himself, impelled by a nagging reminder of his guilt. In this story, the author talk over about psychology aspect than another aspect because conflicts which happened in the story related with psychological character in this story. The Black Cat has a lot of psychological conflicts the narrator who had over come from the beginning story until the end of story, so this story very interesting to analyze. For example, the narrator tell us that from an early age he has loved animals and suddenly the narrator change behavior into animal abuse and abuser.The psychological conflicts happened to the narrator we can be analyzed by the narrator reason for doing his crime.

In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, the main character is a man leading a happy life with his wife and many household pets. His favorite pets is a black cat, Pluto. The Narator, however